WINDER, Ga. – The city of Russell no longer exists, and there is little evidence that there ever was such a town. Perhaps, the only evidence of the former town is with the few businesses that still bear Russell as part of their names.
But like every other town that is or ever was, the former city of Russell has – or had – a unique history.
The city was chartered on Dec. 18, 1902, and named for Richard B. Russell Sr. – Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court from 1922-1938. His son, Richard B. Russell Jr., later served as the state’s governor and a U.S. Senator.
Like so many towns in Georgia and around the country, the town of Russell grew up along the railroad tracks. As the story goes, the Russell family ran from their house to the nearby train tracks to catch the train to Atlanta.
At the behest of the General Assembly, Russell and 186 other inactive cities throughout Georgia lost their charters. All that remains is what can be found in the history books or the archives of people’s minds.
But, these communities – some that barely existed in person – often remain on official maps. A couple of years ago, the Georgia Department of Transportation said it removed 488 communities statewide from the official state map. Too many communities made the maps look cluttered, so the agency decided to drop some of the community names from its official state maps. There was an outcry, and the department decided to rethink its position.
“It’s about history and heritage,” state Rep. Tim Bearden, R- Carrollton, told The Associated Press a couple years ago. “And if you’re going down the road and you’re trying to find an area that’s been on the map and they’re not, they make good landmarks.”
It’s an interesting issue, for sure. Even more interesting is the stories that these communities have to tell. Sadly, a lot of people probably don’t know these great stories exist. In the case of Russell, the former town is slowly fading to urban sprawl. It’s now a part of its former neighbor, Winder.
